vCenter backup is failing

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

vCenter's backup failing with below entries in backup.log

Traceback (most recent call last):

 File "/usr/lib/applmgmt/backup_restore/py/vmware/appliance/backup_restore/BackupManager.py", line 583, in main

  backupObj.DoBackup()

 File "/usr/lib/applmgmt/backup_restore/py/vmware/appliance/backup_restore/BackupManager.py", line 335, in DoBackup

  self.LaunchBackupProcesses()

 File "/usr/lib/applmgmt/backup_restore/py/vmware/appliance/backup_restore/BackupManager.py", line 302, in LaunchBackupProcesses

  self.ExecBackupsInParallel()

 File "/usr/lib/applmgmt/backup_restore/py/vmware/appliance/backup_restore/BackupManager.py", line 272, in ExecBackupsInParallel

  taskId=self.args.id, operation='BACKUP')

 File "/usr/lib/applmgmt/backup_restore/py/vmware/appliance/backup_restore/util/Proc.py", line 202, in LaunchMultipleProcesses

  timeout, logger)

 File "/usr/lib/applmgmt/backup_restore/py/vmware/appliance/backup_restore/util/Proc.py", line 178, in VerifyProcStatusAndGetArchive

  (procRecord.process.name, procRecord.status.excMsg))

Exception: Hit exception inside process LotusBackup:

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 7.0.0

Cause

• vmdird in standalone state. Check vmdird status using any of the commands,

/usr/lib/vmware-vmdir/bin/vdcadmintool (Then option 6 to get vmdir state)

/usr/lib/vmware-vmafd/bin/dir-cli state get

• VMDir state should be normal to support backup operations.

Resolution

1. Take a snapshot of vCenter Server or file-based backup. If it is ELM, take power-off snapshot for all the vCenter Servers. 

2. Set vmdird state to NORMAL by following the steps in VCSA backup via VAMI fails during vmdird database backup with error "Server in state (8) in which it cannot perform backup"